Kim Tae-jin, who opened the first bookstore specializing in antiquarian maps in Korea and helped popularize Korean and world antiquarian maps, is more than just a collector, but a passionate researcher, mediator, and professional distributor of maps and antique documents. As the CEO of the online publishing distributor Tmecca Korea, Inc., Kim has established a unique position by expanding the range of the titles he distributes, from overseas books and academic materials to antiquarian books, engravings, prints, antiquarian maps, and artworks. In particular, his discovery of antiquarian maps of Korea drawn in the West and their introduction to Korea laid an important foundation for the study of ancient and modern Korean history. We caught up with Kim, who continues to travel around the world to discover new treasures even today.

KU spirit, shaped by a penniless journey, Ko-Yon Games, and student activism

A smile spreads across Kim's face as he reminisces about his college days. The time of freedom he enjoyed as a newly-minted adult was fun and happy, even in retrospect.
“Honestly, I liked hanging out with my friends more than studying. I traveled to 20 cities like a penniless traveler, staying in train stations or police substations in rural areas. While talking about current affairs, we'd get to know each other. The most memorable place I visited was Jeju Island, I can't forget crossing the ocean from Busan on the Doraji for 12 hours with motion sickness.”

He experienced a new world through the close-knit senior and junior culture at Korea University. He recalls participating in protests with his classmates when student activism was an everyday event, and he ‘savored' the tear gas. In particular, he has fond memories of the culture of the senior graduates treating their juniors in Myeongdong and Jongro after the Ko-Yon Games.
“We'd just sit on the street and sing cheers, and the seniors leaving work would ask us, ‘Hey, who won?’ And we'd say, ‘We won!’ And then they'd take us to a bar or a pub and say, ‘Everyone come on in!’ And they'd pay for us and leave.”
These college experiences formed the basis for Kim's new career path.

Computer science student connects with antiquarian maps

After graduation, Kim's life took a different turn. While pursuing a master's degree in computer science in the United States, the Tiananmen Uprising in China dramatically opened up employment and permanent residency opportunities for Chinese and Asian students. This led him to settle in the United States.
“At that time, when we bought foreign books in Korea, it was mostly academic books, and they were very expensive, so in 1997 I started a book distribution business in LA by creating a platform to sell American major-specific books to Korea and Asia online.”

What started out as a business centered on foreign academic books grew to include antiquarian books, manuscripts, and maps, which carved out a unique niche for Kim. This was not the direction he intended to take.
“One day, I got a request from the National Library of Korea to help them buy old Western books about Korea, which I didn't know much about. So I went straight to Harvard University Library, searched for relevant keywords, and came up with about 80,000 items. I put the list on a CD and categorized them. I then cataloged about 5,000 antiquarian books over 100 years old, divided them into books, map, magazines, documents, etc. and traveled to antiquarian book markets in the U.S. and Europe to buy them.””

Among his purchases were books with antiquarian maps, which were considered important sources of information about the East Sea, Dokdo, and Mount Paektu. In addition, he was fascinated by this field, as he encountered original sources and materials from the West describing Korea.
" I currently serve as Vice President of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the International Map Collectors' Society (IMCoS), and the Korean Antiquarian Society. Over the last 17 years, I have flown about 60 times a year to participate in exhibitions and auctions of antiquarian books and maps. This year, I've flown 43 times, but now it's getting tough because of my age (laughs)." />

Humanity's spirit of exploration revealed through maps

There is passion in Kim's eyes as he explains the European Age of Discovery, from Christopher Columbus to Hamel to Lapérouse. He explains that the human spirit of curiosity and exploration, which led people to risk their lives to explore uncharted seas and lands, has evolved over time into state-of-the-art databases.
“Europeans used maps by day and astronomical charts by night on their ships as they headed out into unknown seas and lands. The routes they charted have evolved and survived to the present day. We can estimate the age of antiquarian maps or nautical charts and place names from historical sources. Even Korea has different names for different countries and eras. The process of finding out these things is really fun.”

Even today, when AI is having a huge impact on our daily lives, maps still play a key role in human thinking and curiosity.
“People play a lot of games and they use GPS all the time, and it's all based on maps. Maps are used everywhere. Although the purposes of using maps in the past and today are different, at the end of the day, there's a fascination with tracking, exploring, and being curious about where you and your counterparts are.”

Kim Tae-jin participates in the Seoul International Book Fair annually and is working on a project to donate globes to schools and libraries. He is an adventurer and conveyor of the message that humanity has the power to explore and change the world, through antiquarian maps that connect the past to the present.